A colorful mural is lending to the beauty of the Delaware and Lehigh Trail, and can be spotted about a quarter-mile north of the Lehigh Gap Nature Center.

It features a blue grosbeak, prairie warbler, bumble bee and wild bleeding heart - all species that can be found on the center’s 756-acre refuge, said Chad Schwartz, the center’s executive director.

“We selected species that are kind of symbolic of the restoration project that we’ve done here in the Gap,” Schwartz said, referring to the work done to transform the former Superfund site into a nature preserve. “The prairie warbler loves the grassland habitat we created and the blue grosbeak is another grassland bird that’s pretty rare in Pennsylvania. They’re usually found south of Pennsylvania so we are lucky to have them living here. We have the right habitat conditions for them.”

Wild bleeding hearts are an endangered native plant in Pennsylvania but they’re abundant on the center’s lands. As for the bee, it was featured to highlight pollinators and the center’s pollinator research.

The mural measures 20- by 25-feet and is visible from Route 248.

“One of the ideas behind this project was to draw attention to the site. There are a lot of people who drive through here on (Route) 248 or even live nearby in Slatington or Palmerton and they don’t even know we’re here,” he said.

Schwartz said center officials began discussing dreams of a mural before the COVID-19 pandemic. It was around the time PPL had installed new power lines through the Lehigh Gap. When the company did, they cut a new right of way that exposed a wall.

“That wall was full of graffiti but it was hidden for many years by the trees,” Schwartz said. “When it was suddenly exposed, we thought it would be a good opportunity to bring some artwork into the Gap.”

The center contacted artist Carrie Kingsbury of Promiseland Murals, who completed a mural of local flora and fauna in the tunnel under Route 248. That project was done through a partnership between the Bowmanstown Area Residents Connected and the D & L National Heritage Corridor.

Kingsbury worked on nature center’s mural over the winter, and a sign installer recently hung the panels.

“(Kingsbury) came out last week to do some touching up and she covered the rest of the graffiti with gray paint,” Schwartz noted.

Donors funded the project.

As a nonprofit organization, the center relies on memberships and community support. Schwartz is hoping the mural drums up more support.

“Maybe people will be a little more curious about things and check out our story here,” Schwartz said.